What Urbandale Community School District does

Urbandale Community School District (UCSD) is a public K-12 school district headquartered at 11152 Aurora Avenue in Urbandale, Iowa, founded in 1916 and governed by an elected school board under Iowa state law. The district operates seven schools — four elementary schools (Karen Acres, Olmsted, Valerius, Webster), Urbandale Middle School, Urbandale High School, and Metro West Learning Academy (an alternative pathway) — plus preschool, Adventuretime before/after-school childcare, special education, English-learner support, and an Extended Learning Program for gifted students. Its average graduating class of approximately 325 students supports a positioning of "big-time district with small-town feel."

UCSD's technology stack is entirely composed of third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems. Core infrastructure includes ClassLink for single sign-on, Follett Destiny for the library catalog, ParentSquare for family-school communications, Google Workspace, and FAST/FastBridge for K-12 universal screening and progress monitoring. Curricular platforms include Amplify CKLA (K-5 literacy), AmplifyELA (6-7 English), myPerspectives (8-11 English), Odell Education (12th English), MusicPlay Online, and ETR HealthSmart. Differentiated instructional frameworks include a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), a standards-based "Grading for Learning" system, and a Birth-to-Grade-3 Comprehensive Literacy Plan. Supporting services include Safe+Sound Iowa (school safety), a Student Assistance Program (social-emotional support), and a Food Service Angel Fund for meal debt.

UCSD's revenue model is non-commercial: as a public school district it is funded primarily through state aid, local property taxes, and federal grants, delivering K-12 education at no direct cost to resident students. Auxiliary revenue comes from charitable donations (e.g., a $5,000 contribution from the Boyd Midwest Family Private Foundation), open-enrollment tuition from non-resident families under Iowa's inter-district policy, and modest fees associated with programs such as Adventuretime before/after care. The district's sole "customer" segment is families with school-age children residing in or open-enrolling into the district's geography, with no B2B or external commercial revenue stream.

Name

Urbandale Community School District

Legal name

Urbandale Community School District

Website

https://urbandaleschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Urbandale Community School District is a public K-12 district in Urbandale, Iowa operating seven schools (four elementary, one middle, one high school, one alternative academy) plus preschool and before/after care, serving resident and open-enrolled families through state and local tax funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Preschool programs
• Special education services
• Before/after school childcare
• Alternative education pathway

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbandale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: The district operates as a public school system funded primarily through state and local tax revenues, federal grants, and educational funding programs. Services are provided at no direct cost to students.
2. Donations and Foundation Support: The district receives donations through programs like the Food Service Angel Fund, which helps pay off negative meal account balances for students. Organizations like the Boyd Midwest Family Private Foundation make charitable contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Urbandale Community School District is a public K-12 school district operating seven schools in Urbandale, Iowa (four elementary, one middle, one high school, and one alternative learning academy). The district delivers standards-aligned academic instruction, special education, English learner support, preschool and before/after-school childcare programs, nutrition services, and social-emotional support to students residing within district boundaries and to open enrollment applicants.

Product overview

Urbandale Community School District operates as a public K-12 school district with seven schools: four elementary schools (Karen Acres, Olmsted, Valerius, Webster), Urbandale Middle School, Urbandale High School, and Metro West Learning Academy. The district provides a comprehensive educational platform centered on the UCSD Public Website, which serves as the primary digital hub for district information, enrollment, and parent/student resources. Supporting the core educational offering are specialty programs including Adventuretime Before/After School Childcare, the Extended Learning Program, and Metro West Learning Academy (alternative education pathway). The district also operates supporting services such as Safe+Sound Iowa (safety initiatives), the Student Assistance Program, and the Food Service Angel Fund (meal assistance). Technology infrastructure includes ClassLink SSO for identity management, ParentSquare for family communications, and Follett Destiny for library catalog access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Public Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Average graduating class size of 325 students providing personalized attention
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UCAN (Urbandale Community Action Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026UCAN served as a collection site for household donations and provided a delivery van to support families impacted by the Cross Creek Apartment fire. They are a key community partner in emergency support efforts.
• Urbandale Food PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026The Food Pantry provided a box truck with driver and gas for the Resource Distribution Day supporting families affected by the Cross Creek Apartment fire.
• The Free StorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Provided furniture donations for families impacted by the Cross Creek Apartment fire as part of the community response effort.
• Kirby's Moving Company (sponsored by The Northwest Rotary Club)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Sponsored moving services for families affected by the Cross Creek Apartment fire, supporting the community relief effort.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• West Des Moines Community School District: Adjacent Des Moines-metro public K-12 district of comparable suburban profile and size; competes directly with UCSD for open-enrolled students and share-of-voice within the same labor and housing market.
• Waukee Community School District: Fast-growing suburban Des Moines-metro public K-12 district operating multiple elementary, middle, and high schools; competes for open enrollment and is widely benchmarked against UCSD on academic outcomes and facilities.
• Ankeny Community School District: Suburban Des Moines-metro public K-12 district with a similar multi-school footprint and comparable enrollment scale; a direct competitor for open-enrolled families and a benchmark for Iowa suburban district operations.
• Johnston Community School District: Nearby suburban Des Moines-metro public K-12 district serving a similar family demographic; competes head-to-head for open-enrolled students and offers comparable alternative and extended learning pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Des Moines Public Schools: Larger urban public K-12 district anchored in the same metro area; serves as the default public-school option and competes with UCSD for families on the urban-suburban boundary.
• Cedar Rapids Community School District: Mid-sized Iowa public K-12 district operating multiple elementary, middle, and high schools; comparable in governance structure, funding model, and operational complexity to UCSD.
• Iowa City Community School District: Iowa public K-12 district serving a similar mix of in-district and open-enrolled students; comparable in scale, governance, and reliance on state aid formulas.

Emerging players

• Dowling Catholic High School: Private Catholic high school in the Des Moines metro that competes for college-bound families evaluating UCSD's Urbandale High School; an adjacent alternative rather than a direct district substitute.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UrbandaleCSD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UrbandaleCSD
• Facebookfacebook.com/UrbandaleCSD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urbandale Community School District